I stood back with my teammates and watched as our strength and conditioning coach demonstrated a supine good morning from the Glute & Ham machine. I was eager to learn what he called functional training because it was rooted in strength through balance and speed. Simply put, this coach made young athletes better, and I was committed to his training.
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The word functional literally means to have function, to have purpose, so to put it in the context of training or fitness, it must hold true to this definition. Standing on a stability ball performing squats is usually what comes to mind when I think of functional fitness. The truth is, a squat on the ground may serve just as much purpose to someone doing them with the intention to get better and to get stronger, as a squat on a stability ball. What makes training functional is not how different it is from the norm but its intentionality.
Functional movement is moving with a purpose. That purpose could be strength, speed, balance, or even pain relief. I believe that if you are working out, or moving to better yourself in any capacity, then efficiency is our common goal. In work, in the gym, in competition, in life, being efficient means being more effective. Effectiveness computes to results and results to progress.
Because of this truth, I have to talk about my newest and strongest training qualification do date. David Weck chose to call us qualified coaches rather than certified, because the former is an adopted quality, while the latter is merely endorsement. I spent 3 days last week adopting this quality and training method at an intensive training in San Diego where the WeckMethod headquarters is located. We learned about spinal engine and coiling core training. The principles of WeckMethod training led him to engineering a more efficient running technique called the Double Down Pulse. These principles have also led him to discover and create effective training tools like the Bosu Ball, RMT Club, and Pulsars to name a few. For a week now, I have been applying what I learned in my own practice and with my clients, and I have seen a powerful shift in efficiency in my training.